The present disclosure relates to wellbore operations and, more particularly, to securing and protecting control lines during run-in into a wellbore.
In the oil and gas industry, strings of pipe are typically run into a wellbore at various times during the creation and completion of a well. A wellbore is formed for example, by running a bit on the end of the tubular string of drill pipe. Later, larger diameter pipe is run into the wellbore and cemented therein to line the well and isolate certain parts of the wellbore from other parts. Smaller diameter tubular strings are then run through the lined wellbore either to form a new length of wellbore therebelow, to carry tools into the well, or to serve as a conduit for hydrocarbons gathered from the well during production operations.
Some of the tools that are run into the wellbore are used for remote operation or communication in the downhole environment. Some of these tools are operated mechanically by causing one part to move relative to another. Others are operated using natural forces like differentials between downhole pressure and atmospheric pressure. Others are operated hydraulically by adding pressure to a column of fluid in the tubular above the tool. Still others need a control line to provide either a signal, power, or both in order to operate the device or to serve as a conduit for communications between the device and the surface of the well. Control lines, also known as umbilical cords, can provide electrical, hydraulic, or fiber optic means of signal transmission, control, and power into the downhole environment.
Because the interior of a tubular string is generally kept clear for movement of fluids and other devices therein, control lines are most typically run into the well along the outer surface of the tubular string. For example, a tubular string may be formed at the surface of a well and, as it is progressively inserted into the wellbore, a control line may be introduced into the wellbore simultaneously with the tubular string. The control line is typically provided from a reel or spool somewhere near the surface of the well and extends along the tubular string to some component attached to the string. Because of the harsh conditions and non-uniform surfaces in the wellbore, control lines are typically fixed to the tubular string along is entire length to keep the line and the tubular string together and prevent the control line from being damaged or pulled away from the tubular string during its trip into the well.
Control lines are typically attached to the tubular strings using clamps placed at predetermined intervals along the length of the tubular string by an operator. These clamps are usually metal or polymeric protectors that mechanically bolt, clamp, or otherwise fasten the control line to the tubular. These bolt-on protectors, however, are expensive and bulky, and several different sizes of protectors may need to be on-hand on the rig floor to accommodate varying changes in tubular diameter. Moreover, such bolt-on protectors can require several assembly tools that further complicate the process of attaching control lines to the tubular strings.